adams



A UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

EOBEA. ADAMS, OE OHIOAGO, ILLiNOiS, ASSIGNOE To HIMSELE AND EDWIN LEE BROWN, on SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR ORAINING WOOD.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 5 1 ,774, dated December 26, 1865; antedated December 13, 1865.

V To'all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, ROBERT A. ADAMS, of

l Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new an d useful Improvements inMachines for Graining in Imitation fof WoodV and Marble; and I do hereby declare l:fglthat thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact de` scription thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this Y specification, the same letters indicating the same parts in the different-drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machineA containing said improvements. Fig. 2

l bis a horizontal sectional view of the same, de-

signed to show theinterior ofthe cylinder A.

To enable others skilled in the art to make xand use myinvention, Iwill proceed to describe' itsiconstruction and operation.

A is, a hollowT air-tight drum or cylinder,

' shaped like a barrel, or straight, or concave, or

-zof any other shape suitable to the Work to be done.

For ygeneral use it should be convex or barrel-shaped, as shown in the drawings. In this shape it can be accommodated to a great variety of surfaces by means of its elasticity and Vcompressibility, and by letting out more or less of the air, as hereinaftershown. It maybe made I. of diiterentsizes, according tothe work to be performed. It is formed by attaching to each end of a bag, or hollow ball of rubber or rubbercloth,'or any other suitable material, two cir- `cular metallic disks or plates-one on the outside'andone of the same size on the inside- *ias shown vat C` C. Each of the two outside platesis firmly attached toits corresponding a inside plate by the screws a a, thus holding a 'portion of the rubber `bag closely pressed be- `tween them. Through the center of these cirn jcular plates there projects, on each side, the

'metallic axle D, running through the whole machine, on which the cylinder A is intended to revolve. This axle is tted at each end into l the handles Gr Gr, so as to turn smoothly and fwith little friction.

This axle D is made holvHtand interior opening at I, by means ofy which the cylinderAmay be inflated with the to expel breath of the operator. When it is necessary the air it may be done by simply .pushlow the stuffing-box and keep it xed at any Ll desired point upon the axle.

- vN and O are -elastic composition or rubber 'l rollers, intended to distribute the coloring-matr c ter-upon the graining-plate'; 1 The color is.I put upon the iirst roller, O, is taken from O `by v N, and then ce transferred to the graining plate D or belt B. These two rollers Nf'and O turn iii-jg sockets I? Q, which slide on the rods It It, and# may be xed at any point by theset-,screws T T,"` Y The rods R R are connected' `at .their outer Y f ends bythe bar S, This -bar'is securedbyfthe screws UU, and may betakerioiftat pleasure. i l The rod. R, with its connecting partl Vfto-y gether with the metallic parts ofi the handleX, are all composed of a single piece. `Around the cylinderAis placed an endless elastic graining belt or band, B, made of rubber or elastic composition, and constructed in the following manner: I first take acylinder, of wood or soft metal, of the same size and form as I wishto havethe grainingplate or belt B, but madein sections, so as to be easily taken apartby first `withdrawing the interior sections. Ou the l curved surface of this cylinder Icarve the grain of the wood I Wish to imitate. I then inclose this wooden cylinder within a larger hollow cylinder, of wood or metal, and flllthe spac'ebe tween them with liquid plaster orany other -v material suitable for making themold. `W'hen vthe plaster is set I remove the innercylinden by taking out rst the inner pieces or sections, so as not to injure or disturb the plaster cast. 7

Inside this cast thus obtained I putthe rubber air ball or bag and inflate it with air, leaving sufcient space between the two to give` the proper thickness of about the eighth ot'aninch for the elastic plate. I Iill this space with the composition or rubber poured in in a liquid state. Whenthis has cooledI draw 'out the 4 airi'rom the inside of the air-ball, thus collapsing it, and then easily withdraw the airball, together with -the endless elastic plate, from the plaster cast. The surface of the airball should be first oiled before puttin giti nto the plaster mould, so that the elastic plate may not'adhereto it, but may be removed at pleasure, as hereinafter shown. f

Instead of using the air-ball in the way just described for making the elastic plate, a plain wooden cylinder, convex or barrel shaped, or of such other form as may be desired, and made in sections so as to be removable from the inside, may be employed for this purpose. A space is left between this cylinder and the mold and lilled with the composition in the same way just described. After the composition has cooled the cylinder may be withdrawn by first taking out the inside sections, and then the graining-belt may readily be taken from the mold. This grai nin g-belt can be taken oli" from the air-tight drum or cylinder and put on again at pleasure, or another belt be substituted in its place, by first taking off the color-rollers N and O, the cross-bar S, and one of the handles. These parts are then replaced, the cylinder is inated by blowing through the tube formed by the axle D, and the machine is ready for use. This requires but little explanation. The operator grasps one of the handles in each hand, and thus rolls the cylinde r A B forward from one end to -the other of f the board or other article to be grained. If j I hewishes to grain surfaces of different widths,

f the cylinder A B may be readily made shorter in the direction of its axis by means of the sliding stuffing-boxes and set-screws on the axle. The endless plate will readily accom- .modate itself to this change by continually rolling in at the edges as the two ends of the cylinder are brought nearer together.

4The advantages of this machine are mani,-

v j fest.'v By its use more graining can be done 'A and in a better manner than by any other "fgraining-machine now known. ticity and compressibility, arising from the 1 v elastic and yielding nature of 'the' air within, the hollow cylinder A, carrying the endless 11:: graini'ng-plate ada ts itself readily to every inequality of surface. Uwing to the same elasf4 By its elasticity and compre bility, and the readiness f with which the air yields to every pressure, there is no danger of smutching or blurring the' impression, as is often the case with graining-maclines depending solely on the elas greaty trouble and diiicultyof matching the without seam, any length of surface can be grained at one operation in a single; piece,wi th out any break or joint, thereby 'savinglth'e joints, as has to be done in the ordinary mode. 3 By moving in or out the circular disks C the machine may be adapted to a great variety of widths. By using different elasticgrailr'l -ing-plates all kinds of wood maybe imitated?" by the same machine. i In the machine rst made by me the cylin- `der A B was about eight inches inlength and eight inches in diameter in the middle,\both-5"' length and diameter varying somewhat, according as the circular disks C C are/moved j in or out. The diameter of the cylinder atffv the ends may be about one and one-fourth inch r less'than in the middle when made of the size just mentioned. Larger or smaller machines"" may be made in the same way, bo'th lto be worked by hand or power. If worked by power, some slight changes, not involving, however, any change of principle, would of course have to be made. v l t i f Having thus described the construction and operation of the machine, I do not claim the endless elastic plate or belt, nor do I claim a cylindrical graining-machine generally; but V What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. The hollow elastic air bag or drum to be used in a graining-machine in the manner and for the purpose substantially as above described.

2. The combination of the said endless graining-belt and elastic air-bag, used and operating for the purpose and in the manner substantially as above described.

3. The device, substantially as described, for inflatin g and collapsing the hollow bag or drum by means of the hollow axle and valve.

4. The device, substantially as described, for regulating the width of the hollow bag or drum by means of the packing-box, axle, and set-screw.

In witness whereof I have hereunto ser my hand and seal this 12th day of May, A. D. 1865.

ROBT. A. ADAMS. [L. s] In presence of WM. J. HAMILTON,

GEORGE PAYsoN. 

